


Coin Tricks

by peppermint_latte



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Autism Spectrum, Autistic Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Autistic Reader, F/M, M/M, Multi, Other, Stimming, gender neutral reader, human reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-06-11 15:19:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15318363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peppermint_latte/pseuds/peppermint_latte
Summary: The reader is autistic and works with Connor at the DPD, they realise that Connor is also autistic. Now they just have to figure out how to tell him that.





	Coin Tricks

**Author's Note:**

> Reader works at the DPD, as in many fics. Their position there isn't particularly important to the story, but if anything, they are a CSI.  
> Reader is also gender non-specific. Anyone can read and enjoy.

You’re at a work thing, you’ve never enjoyed these sorts of events, but it would _apparently_ be rude if you don’t show up. It’s not like Hank ever shows up, and no one ever tells him off. Double standards.

 

For once he’s actually here though, mostly thanks to Connor, you suspect.

 

Speaking of Connor, he’s across the room, he’s standing on his own and not talking to anyone, same as you. Your strong dislike of small talk has lead you to find a quite corner where you’re sitting and nursing a drink.

 

And for the last half hour you’ve been trying to resist the urge to glance at Connor every three seconds, you’ve been failing of course.

 

Right now you watch Connor nervously playing with his coin.

 

You've seen him do it a lot, when you asked, he explained that it was for testing his reaction speeds. But you've realised, whether or not Connor has, that it's now something he does when he's anxious or agitated.

 

There's nothing wrong with that, you have your stims, so you understand the need to release tension that way.

 

Your thoughts come to a standstill. Stim. _You_ stim _._ And Connor...

 

You look back over at him. You watch the way he plays with the coin.

 

That could easily be a stim.

 

.... But is it?

 

You think back over the time that you've known him.

 

The awkward way he talks in conversation comes to mind, even now Connor is overly formal for no reason. You do the same when you're nervous.

 

You remember how hard it was for him to deviate.

 

And you're aware of how much he struggles with not having a purpose now, the routine and rules he had in place before made things easy.

 

You've been trying to show him he can build new rules and routines, isn't that what you had to learn to do?

 

And you've seen him shutdown before. In the face of emotional overload he completely shutdown in a public place.

 

You helped him to get out of there and go home, taking the rest of the day to relax.

 

You've done the same, you're lucky enough to have good friends who notice and do that for you.

 

All the signs are there, but you never noticed them.

 

You're an idiot.

 

How similar you and Connor can be at times. Not just in general, but things that are related to your autistic traits. How did you never notice?

 

You glance over at him again, does he know? Has he noticed?

 

No, you decide. He definitely doesn't know. You doubt he would have said anything outright but he would have said something to you and Hank about his sensory and social needs if he knew.

 

You have to approach this carefully, you can't just blurt out your findings to Connor.

 

You’re well aware of how not so long ago, it was a very taboo subject. People viewed it like an illness or a death sentence. But now, being autistic isn't really, considered to be negative, it’s just something some people are.

 

Most people are pretty indifferent at the very least, and many supportive, but it's still a heavily personal subject.

 

You think about how it was for you, when you found out.

 

In the beginning you had no idea. It wasn't until you met and got to know one of your best friends that things started to fall in place. You noticed the difference between the two of you and your natural skills for social interaction.

 

You chalked it all up to being an introvert, but your friend was not so narrow in her thought process.

 

She saw everything else too. She saw the way you would tinker with things all the time, and how much you knew about your interests. You'd talk about them for hours and she'd always listen intently.

 

She brought up the subject one afternoon, she simply asked if you had ever seen diagnosed.

 

When you told her you hadn't, she said she thought you might be on the spectrum and should consider it if you ever wanted to know for sure.

 

You didn't immediately go to a psychologist, of course, but you did do in depth research.

 

A few days later, you came to the conclusion that she was right. And you decided to pursue clinical diagnosis.

 

Only a few months later you had it confirmed, though the process hadn't been all that pleasant. Having someone examine your past and relationships so closely was uncomfortable, but you got your answer.

 

Not a lot changed after that really.

 

Your friend was supportive of you, and when you got overwhelmed in public or struggled to explain something to her, she never judged.

 

She just knew what your needs were, and was there to help when you struggled.

 

That's what Connor needs now.

 

So that's what you'll do. You'll be that person.

 

You walk over to him, passing a few people, not paying them any mind.

 

"You know a lot of coin tricks." You say to him.

 

"Yes, I was pre-programmed with the knowledge of how to perform them for the purpose of system checks."

 

"But I bet you've perfected them, made them your own."

 

Connor stares at you and doesn't say anything.

 

"Would you show me a few? I'm curious how you do them." You continue.

 

Being autistic isn't a death sentence or even really a big deal. But you'll introduce Connor to it slowly and gently. It's nicer that way.

 

-

 

A few weeks later you take Connor out to see the next movie in your favourite franchise. The series is one of your special interests and you're excited to see where the story is headed.

 

As you wait in line to buy tickets you can't help but bounce on balls of your feet and flap your hands a little. You keep the movements relatively subtle, but don’t suppress the urge completely.

 

You would be self conscious about such an open display of your neurodivergency but you're just too excited to care. The last movie left you on a huge cliffhanger, and it came out nearly 2 years ago. You can barely wait to find out what happens next.

 

Connor pops your bubble of excitement with a question.

 

"Why are you jumping and moving your arms like that?" It's a genuine question, with no bite behind it. He's curious.

 

But is surprises you enough you stop, anyway.

 

"It's the way I express excitement about some things." You answer truthfully.

 

"Is that a customary way to express excitement? My systems have no record of it." He sounds unhappy about that, Connor doesn't enjoy finding out Cyberlife didn't program him with useful information. You’ve noticed him finding out they left something obvious out before, he always looked frustrated when he found out.

 

"Well... not really, some people do it, sure. But not everyone." You say awkwardly, should you tell him?

 

"Oh..." His LED spins yellow and you know that means he doesn't understand what he just heard, but isn't sure if he should ask.

 

"It's a thing autistic people do, it's a kind of stimming." Why hide the truth? There's no reason not to tell him this at least.

 

"I wasn't aware that you are on the autism spectrum." He replies. You raise your eyebrows in surprise.

 

"No? I thought you did thorough background research on everyone at the station, back before you became a deviant." You say in a teasing tone.

 

The corner of Connor's mouth lifts. And you smile widely. The people in front of you finish at the ticket box and you move up to the machine before Connor can ask you any further questions.

 

-

  
After that Connor starts to ask you questions out of the blue, he knows what autism is, but he wants to understand what it's like for you. He asks you all sorts of questions about it.

 

And you tell him, you answer every one of his questions honestly. You hope he will come to the same understanding as you on his own.

 

You notice he often goes quiet after you answer, like he's thinking deeply about what you’ve said.

 

You don't pry, if he's figuring it out he'll come to you when he's ready.

 

You're out with him one day when he asks if it's alright for him to ask you a personal question. You know by the way he says it that he wants to ask you about being autistic. It’s become a routine for both of you.

 

You nod and he goes ahead with his question.

 

What he asks takes your breath away.

 

"How did you know you were autistic? Were you diagnosed as a child?"

 

You swallow and consider his question.

 

"I didn't know when I was a kid, no one had me tested. I guess my parents never picked up on it. It was a friend of mine who noticed the signs a few years ago and suggested that I might be on the spectrum. I saw someone and got diagnosed after that."

 

Connor doesn't immediately reply, and you wonder if he needs a different answer.

 

"But before I saw a therapist I did a lot of research. I read about experiences from autistic people and compared them to my own, I thought long and hard about it. Once I was sure, I wanted to have it confirmed."

 

Connor still doesn't speak, he just continues to walk beside you quietly.

 

You push down your nerves and ask the question you are almost sure you already know the answer too.

 

"Why do you want to know, Connor?"

 

He meets your eyes and you glance up at his hair, uncomfortable.

 

"I think I might be autistic." He answers you quietly.

 

"Okay." You say.

 

"Okay?" He asks.

 

"I've wondered the same for a few weeks now, I didn't want to just blurt it out so I didn't say anything. But I already thought so...so, okay."

 

"You already suspected that I'm on the autism spectrum? But I'm an android, we shouldn't be able to-"

 

"Who cares." You interrupt him.

 

"I don't care what should or shouldn't be possible, if androids can feel emotions without being programmed to, why can't you experience this as well?"

 

Connor doesn't say anything for a long moment but you watch his LED spin wildly, changing colour again and again.

 

His arms encasing you take you by surprise, but you quickly adjust to the pressure and return the hug.

 

He doesn't say anything but you think this might be a kind of thank you, or at least you've read the same in books.

 

He lets go and you both step back, an awkward silence hangs between you.

 

If Connor doesn't know what to say, that's alright.

 

You've been wanting to info dump about stimming to him for weeks, now you finally have the perfect opportunity.

 

You continue your walk and Connor listens as you go on about the wonders of stimulating your many senses in many different ways.

 

The End.


End file.
